JLPT N5 vocabulary, grammar and kanji

What the N5 courses hold

• 644 words
• 84 grammar points
• 80 kanji
• 808 lessons
• 13,085 lines of recorded Japanese
• 1,556 videos
• 16,864 quiz questions

Counted from the lessons themselves. The JLPT has published no official word or kanji lists since 2010; Manabiya follows the lists of JLPT Sensei.

N5 vocabulary

644 words in 41 units of up to sixteen. Every word has its own lesson: what it means, how it is written, the phrases it usually comes in, three example sentences read aloud, a scene to remember it by, and a quiz.

• 浴びるあびるshower; bathe in
• 熱いあついhot to touch
• 電車でんしゃtrain; electric train
• 外国人がいこくじんforeign national
• 橋はしbridge
• いくらhow much
• 鍵かぎkey
• 金曜日きんようびFriday
• 果物くだものfruit
• メートルmetre
• 並べるならべるarrange; line up
• 奥さんおくさんsomeone else's wife
• プールswimming pool
• 先週せんしゅうlast week
• 少ないすくないfew; little; scarce
• 時計とけいclock; watch
• ワイシャツdress shirt (worn with a suit)
• ズボンtrousers; pants

N5 grammar

84 grammar points in 9 units grouped by meaning, so that patterns that are easy to confuse stand side by side. Each has a detailed lesson: how to form it, what it means, how it differs from its neighbours, the usual mistakes, example sentences with audio, a scene and a quiz of its own. Each unit ends with a page that compares its patterns.

1. Being, existing and describing です・ある・いる と形容詞

   8 points, among them: だ / です to be (is, am, are) · じゃない・ではない is not, am not, are not · い-adjectives い-adjectives · な-adjectives な-adjectives

2. The core particles 基本の助詞

   13 points, among them: は topic marker (as for …) · が subject marker; but · を object marker; through; out of · に to; at; in; on (time)

3. Asking, guessing and ending a sentence 質問と文末の表現

   12 points, among them: か question particle · どんな what kind of · どうして why; how come · どうやって how; by what means

4. Wanting, inviting, offering and asking for things 希望・誘い・依頼

   12 points, among them: がほしい to want (a thing) · たい want to do · つもり intend to · にする decide on

5. May, must not, must and should 許可・禁止・義務

   9 points, among them: てもいいです may; it's OK to · なくてもいい don't have to · てはいけない must not; may not · ちゃいけない・じゃいけない mustn't (casual)

6. Time, order and how far things have got 時と順番

   8 points, among them: とき when; at the time · 前に before; in front of · てから after doing; since · まで until; as far as; even

7. Verb patterns: states, experiences, ways and excess 動詞の基本パターン

   7 points, among them: ている is doing / is in a state · てある has been done (and stays) · たことがある have done (at some time) · たり〜たり doing things like A and B

8. Reasons, contrast and joining sentences 理由と接続

   8 points, among them: から because; from · ので because; since · けど but; although · けれども but; although

9. Comparing, liking and being good at things 比べる・好き・上手

   7 points, among them: は〜より・・・です more than · より〜ほうが this side is more · 一番 the most; the best · の中で[A]が一番 best within a group

N5 kanji

80 kanji in 4 units of twenty. Every kanji has its own lesson: its readings, the parts it is made of, a story to remember it by, a stroke-order animation, the words it is used in (390 in all at N5) and example sentences, all read aloud, and a quiz.

日一国人年大十二本中長出三時行見月分後前

• 日day; sun; Japan音 ニチ、ジツ · 訓 ひ、か
• 出exit; go out; put out音 シュツ、スイ · 訓 で(る)、だ(す)
• 上up; above; top音 ジョウ、ショウ · 訓 うえ、うわ、かみ、あ(げる)、あ(がる)、のぼ(る)
• 外outside; foreign音 ガイ、ゲ · 訓 そと、ほか、はず(す)、はず(れる)
• 北north音 ホク · 訓 きた
• 西west音 セイ、サイ · 訓 にし
• 毎every; each音 マイ · 訓 ごと
• 雨rain音 ウ · 訓 あめ、あま、さめ

How you study N5 in Manabiya

Choose the N5 courses for your daily plan and say how many minutes you have. Each day brings a few new lessons and the reviews that are due: a lesson you learn today is tested tomorrow, then after three days, about a week, three weeks and longer; a slip brings it back the next day. Every lesson has a page to read, its recordings to listen to line by line or on a loop, its videos and a quiz with an explanation for every answer.